Geography Games Ages 4+

If you’re familiar with BINGO, you’re ready for this game. Instead of numbers, GEOBingo uses country cards. With 50 countries represented and 25 on each of the 8 bingo cards, kids will learn about the world in no time.

Geography Games Ages 8+

SpielEssen in Essen, Germany is the Oscars of the gaming world. Here game creators share the games and the annual “Spiel des Jahres” (game of the year) is crowned. Since I used to live less than a 10-minute walk to the conference center that hosted SpielEssen, I was lucky to attend one year. It’s pretty awesome.

Anyway, whenever I see a game that has any mention of SpielEssen recognition, I know it’ll be a good one. Ticket to Ride is no exception. It won the award in 2004. In Ticket to Ride kids get a closer look at geography as they navigate through train routes on different maps. There are many versions available for various routes around the world.

Do you keep track of how many different states or countries you’ve visited? Every once in a while I like to think about it, but my son? He’s obsessed. He constantly asks me where we’ve been and I see him counting the states and countries with his fingers.

This has got me thinking a lot about how I can help him keep track of this. And I’m working on different projects, but one of the quicker projects I’ve created is the state tracker.

It is as easy as it sounds.

Free Printables!

It’s a list of the 50 states + D.C. There’s a place for a name. Checkboxes next to each state.

Since this site is about books, I’m offering two versions. One for places visited. One for places read about.

Best part? It’s free. But, there is a catch. You have to sign up for my newsletter. Then you’ll have access to the resource library that has a bunch of other free downloads.

Cool? Cool. Now join and download and track away. Let me know how you like it. Share it on social media to help spread the love. I’d really appreciate it! (You can click to retweet the image below, or click one of the images above to pin to pinterest, or use the sharing buttons to the left on your computer screen (bottom on mobile) to share on FB.)

One segment of our past summer of road trips was a quick visit to Niagara Falls. Prepping for our trip up, I picked out two books that I thought would be fun introductions of the falls and great souvenirs to help the kids remember their trip in the future.

Children’s books about Niagara Falls

1. Ready to Read, Level 1: Niagara Falls

written by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by John Wallace

The Ready to Read books have a series called “The Wonders of America“. They showcase America’s famous natural sites in small doses for young readers. The simple style made it both easy to read and easy for kids to understand. But, don’t underestimate that statement. They still provide a ton of information about the site.

The Niagara Falls book starts with a history/geography and geology lesson. We learn that the making of the falls did not happen overnight and that it took, in fact, many years. The illustrations show us both where Niagara Falls is and what it could have looked like before the falls became falls.

The word “Niagara” comes from the Seneca Indian word for “thunder of the waters” which is understandable once kids learn how much water goes over the falls every second.

Then we get to the recent history of the falls. It is the first tourist attraction of North America. They outline the different sections of the falls. We learn about some of the people who became famous because of their successful (or unsuccessful) stunts performed here. And a reminder that dangerous activity is now illegal at the falls.

To finish it off there are some interesting bullet-points about Niagara Falls.

Overall the Read to Read Niagara Falls is the perfect entry level book for young visitors. The information is presented simply, for kids to be able to both read and understand, but with enough details that they’ll familiar with the destination and history when they get there.

Neither of my kids read when we were at Niagara Falls, but the pictures kept them interested both before we got there, and for the rest of the trip. The book stays on our bookshelf where my son likes to reach for it as his reading improves.

You can buy the book as part of The Wonders of America series on Amazon. The box set also includes books about the Grand Canyon, The Rocky Mountains, The Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, and Yellowstone.

2. Geronimo Stilton, Field Trip to Niagara Falls

Unlike the book above, this is a chapter book that follows a storyline. Geronimo Stilton chaperones a group of students on a field trip to Niagara Falls. His many missteps entertained my kids. They had no problem paying attention to the longer story. What I loved were all the informative facts that gave us even more insight into the falls. Yes, Niagara Falls is the setting and we learn while Geronimo and the class travel around it, but the callouts help us learn more.

Here are some of my favorites:

Travel Journal Lessons. The prompts are quick and fun. The assignment is for the kids. Perfect. And of course I’m going to appreciate anything that stresses the importance of travel journaling.

Maps. There are maps of North America to show where Niagara Falls is in the world, and a street map of Niagara Falls to use when you get there.

History Lessons. As with the book above, we learn history. But this is more detailed (but still age appropriate) lessons of who the first visitors were to the falls, people who became famous because of the falls, about the Native Americans who lived there, and more.

Camping. Since the class goes camping, this book shares many interesting camping-specific tutorials.

Attractions and more. Geronimo learns more about the specific sights to visit at the falls (which help get kids prepared for itinerary-planning), plus about the animals and plants around this region of the world.

For those unfamiliar with Geronimo Stilton books, they do take a little adjusting. This was my first book from the series and I wasn’t expecting the level of repetition in storytelling, crazy fonts and colors, and wackiness throughout the book. It’s also important to know that there are a lot of mouse-puns. Also, I began to feel bad for Geronimo. He was tricked into purchasing 24 round trip airline tickets, he got pushed aside on the bus and couldn’t see the falls, he had to pay for 24 camping kids, set up the bathrooms, and more. Poor guy.

All those little things, though, my kids loved. It was the book they kept reaching for and looking at both before our trip and after we left. They still look at it and recognize Geronimo Stilton books whenever we see them.

Tips for a Family Trip to Niagara Falls

This is my second time visiting Niagara Falls. I love waterfalls and hope to return again and again.

There are plenty of opportunities to get up-close and personal with the falls. We opted to do the “Journey Behind the Falls” tour. This tour is also available as part of The Niagara Falls Wonder Package that includes other can’t miss sites (which, yes, we did miss – but that’s why we need to go back!)

They gave us a yellow poncho to protect our clothes from the mist. I have since learned that these are only given out in the spring and summer. An elevator then whisked us down 150 feet to the tunnels. Each tunnel took us to a different section behind the falls, or to the observation decks. My son, who was 5 at the time, loved the majesty of it all and took tons of photos with his own camera. My 3-year-old daughter, however, didn’t like the fashion-unfriendly poncho and the loudness of the falls. Fortunately, the tunnels were filled with information I could read about the history of the site, and kept my daughter away from the noise and the wetness.

My absolutely favorite part of this trip was late at night when we got there. We were getting ready to watch the light show, sitting on a grassy area, eating a very late dinner from Tim Horton’s. It was busy, but the business was away from us. My son, who had spent the whole day taking pictures, turns to me and says “you really want to show us the world, don’t you mama?” Why, yes, yes I do son. Aside from making my heart melt, it also made me want to make sure we did other amazing things during our road trip.

Niagara Falls Accommodation

We stayed at the DoubleTree Niagara Falls . The downtown Niagara Falls location makes it easy to access the many restaurants, shops, and activities. While our room had a view of downtown, we weren’t able to see the falls. We knew that before we booked, so there was no disappointment. Especially since the price of this hotel better fit our budget.

The DoubleTree Niagara Falls also has an indoor pool, which has become a must-have for our family trips. It’s about a 15-minute walk to get to the base of the falls or Table Rock Welcome Center (which is where the Journey Behind the Falls tour is.).

Other Niagara Falls tips

We visited Whirlpool State Park in New York on our first trip to Niagara Falls. The perfect spot for a picnic. Plus, it’s far from the touristy crowds at Niagara.

The Whirlpool State Park, as well as some of the most popular sites on both the New York and Canada sides of Niagara Falls, are part of a deluxe sightseeing tour from Viator.

The Niagara Falls Incline Railway is a fun for lazy folks. Or anyone who doesn’t want to walk from the top of the hill to the bottom and back. It takes visitors between the downtown area and the Table Rock Welcome Center.

Interested in learning more about the Seneca Indians? Read this fictionalized story based on the true story of Mary Jemison who was kidnapped as a child and raised as a Seneca Indian in the mid-1700s is a good read. Indian Captive was the Newberry Honor recipient in 1942.

Starting today I will be reviewing several of their books, interviewing the creators, and giving away a book.

Why do I love the Molly and the Magic Suitcase series?

You’ll understand more as you read the reviews, but overall, it boils down to three things:

A great understanding of how kids become interested in learning about other cultures. Sometimes they’re interested because they learned something in school, and sometimes it’s because of something that seems insignificant. Even though I try to infuse cultural moments into our family’s everyday life, I sometimes forget to pick up on those clues. And Molly helps me remember to do that.

A variety of cultural information about the places visited. Kids are interested in everything. Everything is a learning experience. We all travel for our own reasons, but it’s good to remember that travel is more than just about the food, the history, visiting the sites, or our own personal interests. When Molly goes abroad, she gets an overview of a variety of things about the culture – from language to local arts, from history to geography, from food to sports. Molly approaches her destinations with an open mind, and this is what I want for my kids when they travel.

The illustrations. I don’t know how to describe it accurately, though I’ve tried. The illustrations are beautiful. To steal a word I read used to explain the images once, spirit. The details the illustrator uses helped me feel the spirit of the place in an intimate and real way. Sometimes I just stop at an image to soak in those details.

So, let’s get to it.

Later today and every day this week I will publish a new post about Molly and the Magic Suitcase. I will also use Facebook, Twitter, and a little bit of Instagram to share more information about the series. Bookmark this page as I update it with links to posts.

And it goes without saying, but please share it with your friends who appreciate other cultures.

Oh, yeah, what about the book giveaway?

Use books to prepare kids for trips. I’ve said this before. So, in this new series for my site “Trip: By the Book,” I use a book to help inspire an itinerary for a trip. For those who are traveling to India, read on.

Yesterday I reviewed A Puzzling Tour of India. Today I take you there. Well, not me. I’ve never travelled to India, but I have some travel blogging friends who have. I asked three to tell me what they liked about some of the places mentioned in the book. Today’s Trip: By the Book, will take you to the Taj Mahal, Varanasi and the River Ganga, and the Mahabodhi Temple.

Let’s go.

Taj Mahal from Nomadic Boys

The Taj Mahal is a building which truly says, “I love you“. It was built on the instruction of India’s Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (between 1632-1653) in memory of his 3rd wife, Mumtaz Mahal after she died in 1631 in childbirth. We visited Agra in October, just before Diwali, for our friend’s big 40. For his birthday, he wanted to celebrate arriving in this magnificent world wonder and boy was he not disappointed!

The Taj Mahal blows your mind from the moment you enter those grand doors and first set your eyes on this wonder. If we were to go again, we’d make more of an effort to visit in the early morning, before all the crowds arrives.

Varanasi from Travel Woman

Varanasi is located in the northern part of India in Uttar Pradesh, directly beside the banks of the sacred river Ganges. It is number one destination for Hindu pilgrimage in India. The atmosphere of this lively city captured me from the first moment I left the train and walked through the narrow alleys. It is loud but calm. It is crowded but friendly. Disgusting and aromatic smells alternate in seconds. Dogs and cows pace up and down the narrow alleys or even bar the ways through the small streets. Traditional rituals happen the whole day at the Ghats. The ritual bathings mainly in the morning during sunrise, the cremations of the corpses during the whole day and at night there is the famous Aarti ceremony.

I was fascinated by the magical atmosphere, the way people and animals share the closely spaced location, the sun shining on the Ghats and the colours of the buildings and people’s clothing. When India is described as colourful, Varanasi is even more.

If you would like to see more from the Travel Woman’s trip to India, check out her photo gallery which includes beautiful images from six different areas around India. You can also follow her adventures via her Travel Woman blog (please note it is in German, but the photos are worth clicking through), Facebook, and Instagram. This three-day tour will give people a good introduction to Varanasi. Thank you Theresa for sharing your experience with us.

Mahabodhi Temple from Solitary Wanderer

For those who love visiting cultural or religious sites, Bodh Gaya in India is definitely a must-visit. It’s the holiest place for Buddhists, as it is where Gautama Buddha obtained Enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Emperor Ashoka built the Mahabodhi Temple there in 260 BC to commemorate Buddha’s Enlightenment.

I’m not a Buddhist but I loved going around the temple. There were always a lot of worshipers; some would be meditating in front of the Bodhi tree while others would be turning the prayer wheels. The temple itself is a treat to see; a UNESCO World Heritage site, its diamond throne and elongated spire can be seen kilometers away.

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